Orr Fellowship

When The Orr Fellowship heard that Lemonade Day is sharing the experience of entrepreneurship with youth, we jumped at the opportunity. This year, The Orr Fellowship partnered with Lemonade Day Indianapolis to spark the dreams of young entrepreneurs. Lemonade Day seeks to share the experience of entrepreneurship with the next generation of kids. A cause that Orr Fellows strongly believe in. The Orr Fellowship lended a helping hand at the Lemonade Day 'Backpack Stuffing' event.

Lemonade Day teaches kids how to start, own and operate their own business: a lemonade stand.  Volunteers help the participating kids over the course of a few months to design their stand, learn how to manage budgets, discover ways to market their stand, and other business skills. But, the event doesn’t only teach about entrepreneurship. Participating kids also learn life lessons, including financial literacy and philanthropy. 

I’m looking forward joining all The Orr Fellowship over the next few months in this remarkable opportunity to mentor and inspire Indianapolis children.

Scott Jones, local entrepreneur, founded The Think Forward Foundation to spearhead Indy’s Lemonade Day.  Here are a few of Scott’s reasons for taking on this challenge:

In just two years Lemonade Day Indianapolis volunteers have helped more than 17,400 kids experience entrepreneurship!  Here are some of the 2011 participants’ accomplishments:

• Average gross revenue per stand:  $133
• Total gross revenue:  $1, 330, 890
• Average price charged per glass:  $ 0.97
• Average # of glasses sold per stand:  85
• Total # of glasses sold:  852, 692
• Average donation to charity per stand:  $62
• Total contributions to charity:  $616, 765
• Average “man hours” per stand: 3.75 hours
• Total “man hours” worked on Lemonade Day: 37,500

Someone who would like to participate? Direct them to http://indianapolis.lemonadeday.org/.  If nothing else, buy a glass of lemonade from a child’s stand on Saturday May 19^th and help foster the thriving entrepreneurial spirit of Indianapolis in the next generation. And, in the meantime, keep visiting our blog for updates on how Orr Fellows are helping out and joining in the fun!

What do you think of Lemonade Day?

• Welcoming the largest class of Orr Fellows in the history of the organization. (Earlier this year, 27 new Orr Fellows took positions at some of Indiana's best and fastest growing companies.)
• The first acquisition of a company founded by an Orr Fellow. (MyJibe, founded by Fellowship alumnus Mike Langellier, was purchased by Utah-based MoneyDesktop less than a year after its initial launch.)
• A prestigious honor bestowed to an Orr Fellowship alumnus and his Indiana-based startup. (Yaw Aning, founder and CEO of Pocket Tales, took top honors at this year's Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Global Education Challenge.)
• National media coverage for a current Orr Fellow and his bootstrapped social polling tool. (Max Yoder and Quipol have been covered by or used by NBC Chicago, Forbes, and TechCrunch.)

Thursday night we were frantic; poring over the info we had gathered on each host company and bombarding each other with questions. Which companies are you interviewing with? What do you think they will ask? I don’t even know what some of these companies do! What are they looking for?

I’m sure these very same thoughts are running through the minds of potential candidates this week. Current fellows as well as host company executives can attest that the Fellowship is interested in the “who”, not the “what”. We want to know who you are, rather than what your specific skills are. Finalist Day is an invaluable experience as well as exposure to post-graduate networking in Indianapolis. Ask yourself if you could envision yourself working with the executives interviewing you. Enjoy the energy and ambition surrounding you. The energy of Orr Fellows continuously motivates me.

This year, Sally Reasoner and I will once again be riding to Finalist Day together. I still live on caffeine; Sally has managed to kick the habit. This year, we are roommates and will be enjoying the company of our peers by hosting a pre-Finalist Day dinner at our apartment in Broad Ripple! This time last year, we had no idea what to expect of other potential candidates. In 6 short months we have gotten to know each other on a professional as well as social level. We have all come to respect each other’s interests and passions and formed lasting friendships.

Thursday night, we will once again find ourselves chattering away about Finalist Day. This year we are buzzing with excitement for the potential candidates, and eager for the new class to share in our experience.

After attending ROTC (Reception on the Circle) last Thursday, I was reminded of the nerves, excitement, anxiousness, and did I mention, nerves?!? that I was feeling at the same time last year. A year ago, a group of Butler candidates drove together to ROTC and we were all chatting about the fellowship and how excited we were to be moving forward in the application process. We had the chance to meet fellows and interact with the directors during an evening of networking at the Marvis.

It’s amazing now, a year later, to see that same group of Butler students and the role each of us have at our host companies through the Orr Fellowship. Ashton is leading the way at Slane Capitol and making huge impressions, Ann is traveling weekly across the nation to consult Bid Pal events, Conner is making waves at iGoDigital and improving the online customer experience, John is working in sales and account management roles at Compendium, and I’m gaining valuable experience through events marketing, outbound marketing, and talent management and organizational development at ExactTarget.

But beyond the day-to-day contribution that we make at our host companies, we have the unique opportunity to connect with other fellows, young professionals, local business leaders, entrepreneurs, host company executives, and fellowship directors. I like to think of it as the perks beyond the typical 8-5 job – our chance to really learn, connect, and grow. The mission and core values of the fellowship are truly being acted upon throughout all aspects of the fellowship and it’s exciting and motivating to be a part of it.  Each interaction, connection made, and lesson learned inspire me to discover how I can best serve the community with my skills and passions.

A year ago, I could only dream of this opportunity, and I’ve realized being a part of the fellowship was worth every bit of nervousness and uncertainty. For me, it came down to taking a leap and holding on tightly to an invaluable opportunity, and there has never been any looking back. May all of our eyes be opened to the invaluable opportunities in front of us today, and always.

Last night I was at this awesome event to support Melina Kennedy, Indianapolis Mayoral Democratic Candidate.  She is running against incumbent Republican Mayor Greg Ballard.  Go vote November 8^th.  At the campaign, held at The Bunker (houses DyKnow, RICS software, and OneBridge), I had the pleasure to meet Melina and speak with David Becker, an Indianapolis serial entrepreneur and TechPoint Foundation for Youth Board of Director.  I'm actively engaging in the TechPoint Foundation for Youth.  The atmosphere was electric.  It was held in a man cave in the back of this newly renovated steel and concrete shelter built undeniably in the cold war era for fear of atomic missile attack on Chicago. Food was good and the drinks were free, but the people I interacted with were fantastic.  I spoke with Mark Brown, CFO of DyKnow, RICS, and OneBridge.  We talked about staying active and work life balance, playing sports and how we are not in as good of shape as our minds think, and of course we talked about DyKnow. 

After the event, four Fellows ventured out to pick up a bite to eat.  We ended up at the Beer Cellar, because someone in the group thinks Fazoli’s is terrible Italian (think Brad Pitt Inglorious Bastard’s accent), for some good conversation. During dinner I found out that one of my local Fellows, Sally Reasoner, works out at the same LA Fitness I do in Broad Ripple.  She challenged me to get up at 5:45 for spinning.  I had to make a pivotal choice.  Get a few extra hours of sleep or go spinning for my first time with one of my BOFO’s two hours earlier than I’ve been up for in years.  From the title and type of people we are in the Fellowship you can bet I was there, and a little early too, to start my first spinning class.  It did nothing but get me super jacked for my day.  Sally thank you so much for inviting me. 

I’m also super pumped today because the day has finally come for the mega-epic VERGE event at the Kessler Mansion.  I just checked and there are 181 people signed up.  I may have exaggerated with the 1,000 last night I told David Becker. I hope he has forgotten by now. VERGE was started by Orr Fellows and is currently run by an Orr Fellow alumn (Matt Hunckler). VERGE brings together Indianapolis investors, entrepreneurs, and technology experts to create a better platform for startup technology companies. 

Lastly, yesterday we sent out the invites for Rose-Hulman interviews with Mike Langellier.  I am super excited about the candidates that we are interviewing next Tuesday, Oct. 25^th.  We have representation in a wide variety of activities and I’m eager to be back on campus for the last time this year to recruit.  Big shout out to my Fightin’ Engineers. 

1. How can I be sure I'll be happy in my career?


2. How can I be sure my relationships with my friends and family become an enduring source of happiness?


3. How can I stay out of jail?

I’m not going to say that my experience can be generalized over all the fellows, but I think that having the flexibility to work from home or take a few hours off periodically is more common than not.  That’s yet another aspect of the Fellowship I love – you’re given a unique opportunity to work within unconventional methods.  While some larger companies are trying to adopt this model, that’s not happening at a large scale…and most definitely not for the people who just started working less than six months ago…but smaller entrepreneurial companies are able to implement it without a problem.

Being in the Orr Fellowship means being on the brink of something new, the edge where innovation and technology meet.  While something like the ROWE model is an experience and a work style that many aren’t used to, with Indy’s surge towards entrepreneurial ventures and the world’s increasing dependence on technology for communication (rather than face-to-face interaction), it’s very possible that the ROWE model is going to be the model under which our generation primarily works.

It’s an exciting future…one that I’m sure is completely different than what I would have faced if not in the Orr Fellowship.  If you think ROWE sounds intriguing, email me at ashton.chaffee@orrfellowship.org to learn more about how it applies to my Orr experience and to see if it could be right for you!

My favorite childhood film (Sandlot), includes a scene where Babe Ruth enters a dream and speaks to the Benny the Jet Rodriguez:

“Let me tell you something kid; Everybody gets a chance to do something great. Most people never take the chance, either because they're too scared, or they don't recognize it when it spits on their shoes.”

As opportunity spits on our shoes, it’s all about doing something great. When talking to my colleagues and friends in the fellowship, I realize they’re driving to do great things for the fellowship and their host companies alike, taking advantage of the opportunities presented. Here’s a few tidbits I’ve heard thus far:

Orr Fellows at one company are in the process of writing the largest parking solution’s RFP in the past five years--one night last week they worked from 12pm to 5am in an effort to crank it out. Another, working in sales, has thousands of dollars out in proposals he hopes will close (after working for a little over a month). One fellow has a C-level title, and another has become the most senior consultant in his firm. Outside of host companies, I’ve heard a passionate startup pitch from a fellow who's dreamed up a simple yet innovative solution to solve a problem he’s recognized in his space. I might add that he knows exactly how many cents per dollar of income go to spending versus a seed investment in his business--a true entrepreneur.

The list goes on . . . And so I’m sure you’ll hear about many more accomplishments and stirrings over the next few years, but remember that the folks in the fellowship are what makes it special. No one I’ve met has been scared to tackle challenges, and as we share in each other’s successes, the expectations only get higher.

So after dwelling on this for a bit, my takeaway from the first few months of the Fellowship is that you've got to PICKLE THE BEAST. In the Sandlot--taking advantage of opportunity is dubbed "pickling the beast"...a stunt that involves stealing a baseball from the world's meanest dog.  It's never been done before, and rumor has it that those who did were never seen again. Dramatic? Maybe. But pickling the beast is at the core of every Orr Fellow, and what we're looking for as we recruit the class of 2011. 

If you're ready for it..start by applying here. 

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: I’m not the camping sort of girl.  Being outdoors for an extended amount of time in a buggy, muggy atmosphere isn’t something that I really jump to do.  The other Orr Fellows can attest to this.

You see, this past weekend, we all packed up and headed out to Bradford Woods in Martinsville, IN for a weekend-long retreat.  Given that we had bunk rooms, weak air conditioning, and a full kitchen full of goodies, I’m kind of thinking they may have made fun of me a bit for how out of place I seemed amongst the trees and bugs (I might have made the slightly dramatic comment that I was pretending to be on “Survivor”…).

However…no matter how much I didn’t like getting sweaty and nasty in the middle of the day or itching all of my new mosquito bites (15)…the retreat was an absolute blast.  I got to know those in my class, as well as people in the class above me, in a completely different atmosphere – not at work, not at a meeting, not in a bar – but instead in the middle of nowhere, completely removed from the outside world (Internet access was spotty).  Being disconnected from the outside world has its advantages, though…it births deep conversations about the most random things, and I found out just how much I have in common with those that surround me.

The Orr Fellowship is an amazing thing; it brings together people that have some pretty common “working” traits, a fair amount of ambition, and lots of different personalities and interests.  But no matter how different we all seem, our “below the surface” thoughts and values are uncannily similar.

These similarities aren’t things that are “tested” or searched out during our months of recruiting new fellows, but somehow we’ve created a group that serves not only as the basis of our new professional network, but has also become a solid group of friends.

I’ll humbly say that we have a pretty amazing group of people – it’s a group made of individuals that have accomplished unique and inspiring things in their short 22 or 23 years; a group that inspires me to want to work harder and be better at what I do.  And after seeing just how well we all mesh and work together after a weekend of roughing it in the woods, I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to see what our collective future holds.

If you’d like to learn more about my personal experiences in the Orr Fellowship, ask general questions about what the Fellowship really is, or find out how you can be part of this incredibly fun group, send me an email at ashton.chaffeee@orrfellowship.org (or hear about my daily exploits by following me on Twitter).

Last week, I received a very interesting email. This message informed me that Mayor Ballard, and Governor Mitch Daniels would be paying a visit to Angie's List, my host company, the following day. As I drove up to the ever eclectic Angie's List campus the next morning, the energy was undeniable. The entire company was counting down the minutes until 9:15, when the two were scheduled to arrive. At about 9:00am, my department was buzzing was eagerness. We all walked over to the courtyard where a mix of employees, including many Orr Fellowship alumni, sat on hand-me-down picnic tables, looking on as Angie Hicks introduced the mayor and the governor.

The first statement Governor Daniels made was that he was proud of this organization and the impact it has made on the near east side of Indianapolis. As he continued his speech, I could not help but feel pride as well. I am proud to be a part of Angie's List. I am proud to be associated with one of the Best Places to Work in Indianapolis; a company that will be providing over 500 jobs in the city of Indianapolis in the next 5 years. I then looked around at all of the Orr Fellow alumni, and thought about their positions within Angie's List, as well as all of the entrepreneurial endeavors they work on after hours and the career opportunities they are pursuing.

I could not help but feel, in that moment, that I was beginning to fully realize the mission of the Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship in Indiana. Angie Hicks, Co-founder of my host company, is motivating me to take a career risk. The current Orr Fellows and alumni I associate with, aside from their distinguished post-grad jobs, are motivating me to do more with my energy than just a 9-5 job. Governor Daniels and Mayor Ballard are motivating me to make a tangible impact on the city of Indianapolis.

As I left my office that day, my head was buzzing with opportunities to pursue around the city. I spent that evening sending emails and brainstorming how I could give back to this community that is offering so much to me during my fellowship experience. I found myself reaching out to connections I have already made through the Fellowship to offer help in various volunteer avenue. I was beginning to take advantage of post-graduate networking in Indianapolis. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to experience the influence of city and state leaders just three short months out of college.

This past weekend the Orr Fellowship ventured to Bradford Woods for our annual retreat and an escape from our high-growth and fast-past companies, for me it was a break from Fifth Gear, an Ecommerce Fulfillment Company.  As a coordinator of Fellow Development it was my responsibility to help establish the theme, plan activities, and coordinate with the mediator, Mike Langellier a 2004 Orr Fellow, for the retreat.  The two primary focuses of the retreat are to plan for the upcoming years activities (i.e. set goals, brainstorm ideas) and begin fostering the unique Business/Peer relationship that the Orr Fellowship offers. 

Many fantastic activities were planned.  A few of my favorite were Coat of Arms and kickball.  Coat of Arms has each individual create a shield with different aspects of their life in four quadrants.  The four quadrants we choose to put on our Coat of Arms were our proudest accomplishment, our future goals, our favorite hobbies, and our most cherished thing.  To keep with the spirit of entrepreneurialship, we one minute, rocket pitched our Coat of Arms to everyone in the group.  This allowed valuable personal information sharing in a constructive and visual way.  On the purely enjoyment side, we ended the retreat with an intensely competitive game of kickball.  My team won, but more importantly we found that we are all fierce competitors and able to quickly locate our niche on the team.  Shout out to Claire for her awesome bunts and Sally for perfect placement multiple times between infield and outfield.

Although there were many planned activities we attained the perfect balance of having fun, creating interpersonal relationships, and setting direction for the upcoming year (specifically with respect to recruiting [Apply Here]).  I had a great time during all the activities and even when we cooked all of our own meals, especially our own gourmet Italiano, but the time I cherished most was relaxing by the fire with 40 of my Fellows and listening to what makes each of us unique.  I learned some of us have awesome families (shout out to Kara and her dad’s falconry future), some of us have already started successful businesses and I learned each of us has genuine passion about something.

While the quarters were close in our 24 person cabins and the food was tasty, the thing I will remember most is the connection I made with many of the Fellows.  Many memories were made but more importantly relationships were formed, and the entity of current Fellows established a more meaningful purpose as we set out on our 2011-2012 adventures. 

• Elevated my host company's social media presence across all channels
• Helped revamp my host company's blog plan & wrote a few posts
• Attended a concert at the Vogue
• Rode my new bike from my Woodruff Place apartment to Mass Ave downtown countless times
• Spent the weekend with the rest of the awesome Orr Fellows on our retreat at Bradford Woods--you guys rock!
• Written a few email marketing campaigns, one of which almost had a 40% open rate

• Cumulative 3.5 GPA or higher (students with as low as a 3.2 GPA will be considered if they have extensive leadership experience)
• Demonstrated leadership potential (leaders in on- and off-campus clubs/organizations/athletics)
• Strong interest in entrepreneurial business or organizational leadership
• An expected graduation date in 2012 with one or more undergraduate major
• Graduate of an Indiana college or university (or a native Hoosier graduating from any school around the country)

It seems like just yesterday that I graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and took off for a month in Europe.  Coming back was difficult, but starting at Fifth Gear, an Ecommerce fulfillment company looking to double revenue in five years, and the Orr Fellowship Indiana was an abrupt trek back to reality.  However, it is great to be in a high-growth Indianapolis company, were the focus is on people.  Management recognizes that in order for profitable growth, new people will need to be brought on;  and brought on I was.   On my very first day with Fifth Gear I left before lunch to visit our 500,000 square feet warehouse location in Louisiana, Missouri.  Louisiana had the wonderful smells and feel of a small Middle American town with approximately a third of the town employed by Fifth Gear.  I toured the twin warehouses on the outskirts of town, less than two miles from the center!  The warehouse was hot and my stomach was growling for food, but the warehouse was never-the-less impressive.  With thousands of horse, house restoration and enough contact lenses to keep me seeing for life, I was prepared to whip out my Visa and go on a never-ending shopping spree. 

The next morning started with a delightful visit to a local favorite café called Daybreak, located a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River.  A pleasant man took our orders.  Delicious omelets, California style with spinach and feta cheese is what I got.  At the end of breakfast, a nightshift worker recognized our badges and gave us recommendations on how to improve the warehouse.  The recommendations were genuine and thorough.  After breakfast, it was back to the warehouse.  The community office that is shared by temporary visitors is quant with street views.  The information I attained over the next few days advanced my knowledge incredibly more than sitting in Indy for four days starring at my computer wondering, “What does this Operations Analyst role I have really mean.”  Later, I was invited to sit in on a freight meeting with our CEO, President, and VP of Operations; yet again emphasizing the honor it is to be an Orr Fellow.  Two more days of business meetings and shadowing carried on like this.  Except on the last day where we all splurged with homemade cinnamon donuts from Daybreak.  It was hands down the greatest donut these taste buds have experienced. 

The five hour ride back home allowed for reflection on what I learned, as well as a vital phone conference with my manager, we couldn’t find time to meet in Louisiana, further emphasizing exactly how important time is to growing companies.  I walked away with valuable insight of what Fifth Gear does, but more importantly I put a face with a name and each person I met was able to do the same.  The warehouse was hot, the restaurants were only opened a few nights a week, but the people had the right attitude needed for growth.  The people were friendly and everyone acknowledge my existence in passing.  It felt simply like home away from home.

In addition to my exciting new role with Fifth Gear on August 1^st the Orr Fellow crew met and I was placed in the Fellow Development Group.  The group plans the all-Fellow retreat coming up in mid-August, as well as, five personal and professional growth seminars throughout the next year.  Finally the group is responsible for smoothly transitioning our next class of Fellows.  Though starting “two” jobs in quick session was a brain shock, I am already seeing the benefits from both.  I am excited to spend more time with current Fellows and learn more about Ecommerce.

• Attended a Venture Club of Indianapolis meeting with Chris Palmer and an executive at my company. Our CEO spoke on the guest pannel.
• Helped develop my company's social media presence
• Worked on my salesforce database skills while sending messages out to customers
• Had a bbq pork sandwich and a beer in the office as part of our thirsty Thursday tradition.
• Wrote this post.

• Just adding people will no longer solve the problem:  Rob talked with us about how not too long ago, simply adding educated people to a country's workforce and not necessarily worrying about productivity gains within that workforce would bring about increases in economic growth for the country.  That day in age is long gone now and becoming more productive as a workforce with less resources is driving economic growth much more than simply adding another body to the stem.  
• Finding new and innovative ideas to solve big problems is as important now as it ever has been: Much of the time in conversation with Rob revolved around the issues that the Lilly Foundation has identified in education and health care and how they are trying to solve them.  One thing I found refreshing about his approach to solving issues was trying to find workable solutions on a small scale before advocating them on a large scale.  For example, in the education field, the Lilly Foundation doesn't try and solve entire country's problem in one big cash-flush solution, but instead they take small, but calculated, bets on Indianapolis and Indiana based initiatives that are innovative and take new approaches to solving problems of things such as getting more students to graduate and improving the quality of education.  Then if they see success in these smaller initiatives they advocate these solutions on a larger scale, thereby advocating for more proven and refined solutions then ones that are great in theory but may not be great in practice.